Disoriental

Kimi Sadr fled Iran at the age of ten in the company of her mother and sisters to join her father in France. Now twenty-five and facing the future she has built for herself as well as the prospect of a new generation, Kimi is inundated by her own memories and the stories of her ancestors, which come to her in unstoppable, uncontainable waves. In the waiting room of a Parisian fertility clinic, generations of flamboyant Sadrs return to her, including her formidable great-grandfather Montazemolmolk, with his harem of fifty-two wives, and her parents, Darius and Sara, stalwart opponents of each regime that befalls them.

In this high-spirited, kaleidoscopic story, key moments of Iranian history, politics, and culture punctuate stories of family drama and triumph. Yet it is Kimi herself--punk-rock aficionado, storyteller extraordinaire, a Scheherazade of our time, and above all a modern woman divided between family traditions and her own "disorientalization"--who forms the heart of this bestselling and beloved novel.

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Reviews

Bookseller Blurbs "PHENOMENAL! Insightful and compelling...Djavadi takes on huge social topics such as immigration, homosexuality, politics and culture and distills those issues into the personal experience of one girl, who is so genuine and endearing that one can't help but come to understand and have compassion for what she and her family endured. This story is one that needs to be read!" --Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette Bookstore"A master storyteller, Djavadi unravels Kimia Sadr's origin with family lore that has been passed down for generations, beginning with her Persian great grandfather in 1896. Each thread of the family's story builds the foundation for their harrowing escape to France during the Iranian Revolution. This book is a triumph and humanizes the history of a culture that many have ignored." --Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop Praise for Disoriental"What is obvious from the beginning of this riveting novel is that Djavadi is an immensely gifted storyteller, and Kimia's tale is especially compelling. "--Booklist (Starred Review)"Disoriental is a rich, irreverent, kaleidoscopic novel of real originality and power. I've never read anything quite like it."--Alexander Maksik, author of You Deserve Nothing"Disoriental is epic in scope and yet deeply, even intimately, personal-the novel blows up any lines between the personal and the political, intertwining generations of inherited family stories in a way that doesn't just bring history to life (though it does that as well), it shows the lingering and often cruel effects seemingly disembodied historical forces can cast on an individual like Kimia Sadr. And amidst a story that could not be more topical--encompassing political upheaval and emigration, gender and sexuality--Djavadi's reluctantly worldly-wise narrator casually lays bare devastating truths about society and human nature. Stunning."--Time Mohr, author of Burning Down the Haus"By turns heartbreaking and humorous, Negar Djavadi takes us on a whirlwind journey through Iran's modern history, vividly capturing the pain of exile with passion and heart."--Saleem Haddad, author of Guapa"Disoriental is a novel that will take your breath away, a lovely hymn to the freedom to live, to think, and to love." --France Inter"Emotion, comedy, fever, and drama."--Elle"If the history of Iran had to be contained in a book, set in motion and shaken by its revolutions, it would give you Disoriental...astonishing, disorderly, extraordinary, and enjoyable." --Le Devoir "Constructed like a vinyl record, with its epic and novelistic A-side and its 'awkward little sister, ' the personal and political B-side, Disoriental has many enticing tracks. These include its narrative strength, held up by the consummate art of digression, changes in tone and rhythm, and the richness of its themes, as well as the precision of the critical eye that it points most notably at French society." --Le Monde des livres "An incredible story...that leaves the reader dumbstruck, intensely and emotionally thrown off course." --ActuaLitte "An ample political, historical, and intimate fresco, Disoriental appeals to readers with its freedom, its power, its breath, its language, and offers brilliant reflections on exile and identity. Impressive!" --Le Carnet a spirales"Magnificent." --Le Soir"An enchanting writer." --Canal + Bookseller Blurbs "PHENOMENAL! Insightful and compelling...Djavadi takes on huge social topics such as immigration, homosexuality, politics and culture and distills those issues into the personal experience of one girl, who is so genuine and endearing that one can't help but come to understand and have compassion for what she and her family endured. This story is one that needs to be read!" --Stephanie Crowe, Page & Palette Bookstore"A master storyteller, Djavadi unravels Kimia Sadr's origin with family lore that has been passed down for generations, beginning with her Persian great grandfather in 1896. Each thread of the family's story builds the foundation for their harrowing escape to France during the Iranian Revolution. This book is a triumph and humanizes the history of a culture that many have ignored." --Rachel Watkins, Avid Bookshop Praise for Disoriental "Disoriental is a novel that will take your breath away, a lovely hymn to the freedom to live, to think, and to love." --France Inter"Emotion, comedy, fever, and drama."--Elle"If the history of Iran had to be contained in a book, set in motion and shaken by its revolutions, it would give you Disoriental...astonishing, disorderly, extraordinary, and enjoyable." --Le Devoir "Constructed like a vinyl record, with its epic and novelistic A-side and its 'awkward little sister, ' the personal and political B-side, Disoriental has many enticing tracks. These include its narrative strength, held up by the consummate art of digression, changes in tone and rhythm, and the richness of its themes, as well as the precision of the critical eye that it points most notably at French society." --Le Monde des livres "An incredible story...that leaves the reader dumbstruck, intensely and emotionally thrown off course." --ActuaLitte "An ample political, historical, and intimate fresco, Disoriental appeals to readers with its freedom, its power, its breath, its language, and offers brilliant reflections on exile and identity. Impressive!" --Le Carnet a spirales"Magnificent." --Le Soir"An enchanting writer." --Canal +

Author description

Tina Kover's published works include the Modern Library translation of Georges by Alexandre Dumas pere, The Black City by George Sand (Carroll & Graf), and Maurice G. Dantec's Cosmos Incorporated and Grand Junction. In 2009 she received a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship for the translation of Manette Salomon by the Goncourt brothers.